S10 V8 Engine Swap, Part 2

From the crew at StreetTrucks.com

Motor swaps into any truck take a basic game plan that will ensure everything goes smoothly. First things first, we checked the inventory list from Stylin’ Trucks to make sure that everything was in order. Their customer service is second to none, making the entire process that much easier.

The game plan that we’ve set while swapping out the 2.2L factory motor in our ’97 Chevy S-10 project is as follows: pull off the front clip for easy access; drain all fluids from the block, power steering reservoir and clutch master to avoid a massive mess. Since we’ll be replacing the stock wiring harness with a Painless Wiring harness we’ll remove the computer and residual wiring, but keep a few connections like the fuel sending unit so we can tap back into it.

Once the fluids and wiring are gone we can begin extracting the old 2.2L and manual transmission. We will be pairing the new small-block with a TCI 700R4 transmission, which will create a few things to contend with later like filling the shifter hole in the floorboard as well as making some room in the tranny tunnel for the larger bellhousing. Both of those issues will be dealt with in the next installment. Follow along as we get the S-10 ready for a better powerplant.

1. Start by removing the hood and grille shell. There are several clips that need to be removed, so try not to break them.

2. Then, remove the front bumper bolts and the bumper.

3. The fender is secured to the core support with five bolts. Remove them and set the fenders aside.

4. Now remove the lower radiator hose and drain the cooling system. It helps to have a bucket to drain the coolant into.

5. Now disconnect all of the relays from the core support.

6. Also remove any ground wires.

7. After removing both mounting bolts you can easily remove the core support.

8. Now with the fenders and core support out of the way we can concentrate on the wiring and exhaust removal.

9. Next, remove the stock wiring harness.

10. Our project will use the factory fuel sending unit. Leave enough room for splicing when you cut these wires.

11. There are many clips securing the wiring harness to the frame. Pop them all and you can remove the harness.

12. A few connections still need to be unhooked up front.

13. Once the wiring harness is removed, you can disconnect the computer and set it aside.

14. Before removing the exhaust you must first unbolt the collector from the crossover pipe.

15. After unbolting them, remove the crossover pipe.

16. Don't forget to drain the power steering fluid.

17. Now you can remove the factory motor mount bolts from both sides of the engine block.

18. Next, remove the four shifter bolts from inside the cab and disconnect the shifter from the transmission.

19. After supporting the transmission with a jack, the factory transmission crossmember can be unbolted.

20. Now remove the transmission crossmember.

21. Now the old exhaust system can be removed. It'll be replaced with a high-performance unit soon enough.

22. Now unbolt the driveshaft and remove it.

23. Use a cherry picker or engine hoist to support the motor. You can now remove the motor mounts for more clearance.

24. Before removing the motor and transmission, cap the transmission tail shaft to prevent a fluid spill.

25. The motor is finally gone. Now we can shave the firewall, clean up the frame rails and modify the transmission tunnel to accept the larger transmission unit. Stay tuned!

Stay tuned for future stories as the crew at StreetTrucks Magazine begin customizing the S10 for the new 5.7L V-8 and additional components.